Written by Nick Penhale, Director of Managed Services
Quick Summary
A growing shortage of memory chips, driven by surging AI demand, is expected to push PC prices significantly higher in 2026. For businesses considering a software upgrade or technology refresh, acting sooner rather than later could mean real savings and fewer headaches down the road.
What’s Happening to PC Prices?
If you’ve been putting off a hardware or software upgrade for your business, now is a good time to pay attention. A perfect storm is brewing in the technology market, and it’s likely to make computers more expensive in 2026 — possibly significantly so.
The root cause is a shortage of DRAM memory chips. Artificial intelligence applications and data centers are consuming memory at an unprecedented rate, and chip manufacturers have been shifting production toward high-bandwidth memory (HBM) designed for AI workloads. The result? A shrinking supply of the standard memory chips that go into everyday computers, and rising prices across the board.
Major PC manufacturers are already feeling the pressure. Dell has reportedly announced price increases of 10% to 30% on commercial PCs in response to rising component costs, and other manufacturers are expected to follow suit. For businesses that rely on fleets of computers, those increases can add up quickly.
New Chips, Old Problems
Intel is preparing to launch new processor families (Panther Lake for laptops and Nova Lake for desktops) that promise meaningful improvements in performance and energy efficiency. On paper, 2026 should be a great year to buy new hardware.
The problem is timing. These promising new chips are launching right into the teeth of the memory shortage. Even the most powerful new laptop is only as useful as the memory inside it. Microsoft, for example, requires at least 16 GB of RAM for a device to qualify as a Copilot+ PC — a baseline for running modern AI-powered productivity tools. If memory is scarce and expensive, many new PCs may ship with less RAM than businesses need, or at price points that stretch already tight IT budgets.
What This Means for Your Business
If your business has been considering a technology refresh — whether that means new hardware, updated software, or both — the window to act at today’s prices may be shorter than you think. Here is why moving sooner rather than later makes sense:
- Current prices are lower. Before the full impact of the memory shortage hits retail shelves, today’s hardware pricing is more favorable. Purchasing or refreshing equipment now could save your business a meaningful amount per unit — and those savings multiply across an entire office or organization.
- Software transitions take time. If you are planning to migrate to a new platform, deploy new business applications, or upgrade your operating environment, the process rarely happens overnight. Starting that process now means your team can get trained, configured, and comfortable before any external cost pressures force your hand.
- Delaying could mean doing more with less. If PC prices rise and budgets stay flat, a delayed hardware purchase in 2026 may mean settling for machines with less memory or fewer capabilities than your business needs — which can have a real impact on productivity and employee experience.
- Planning ahead protects your bottom line. Technology decisions made reactively are almost always more expensive than those made proactively. Getting ahead of the curve now gives your business more options and more control.
Abacus Technologies Can Help You Get Ahead of It
At Abacus Technologies, we help businesses across the Southeast make smart, strategic technology decisions. Whether you are evaluating a hardware refresh, planning a software migration, or simply trying to understand how market trends like this one affect your IT roadmap, our team is here to help you navigate it with confidence.
The time to plan is before prices go up, not after. Reach out to the Abacus Technologies team today to start a conversation about your technology needs and how we can help you get the most out of your IT investment — now and in the future.